https://emmycaitlin.com Tue, 01 Jan 2019 20:43:44 +0000en-UShourly1https://emmycaitlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-Site-Icon-1-32x32.pnghttps://emmycaitlin.com 3232Eight Goals for 2019http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/QSHOF8aIfFQ/ https://emmycaitlin.com/eight-goals-for-2019/#respondTue, 01 Jan 2019 20:36:34 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1856 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. A new year is here and I’m ready for it! I know that you can make a new start at any time, but I love the way the new year feels. It feels like time for a fresh start. I know I tend to […]

A new year is here and I’m ready for it! I know that you can make a new start at any time, but I love the way the new year feels. It feels like time for a fresh start. I know I tend to let a lot of things slide toward the end of the year because I’m generally on vacation and feeling lazy. 2018 was a whole year of being lazy and making excuses and I’m feeling rather sick of myself. Resolutions have never been my thing, but I do have some plans for 2019.

#1 Get Back on the WW Train

I started 2018 out with a bang with weight loss, but it went downhill after that. I’m very much an emotional eater and I let WAY too many things impact my choices. I had set a goal to lose 60 pounds by the time my oldest son graduates in June and I will not hit that goal. But I can lose some weight before that date, so I am getting serious about tracking again.

#2 Get Back Into Fitness

I used to love to workout. I even wanted to be a personal trainer for a while. I looked back through my Facebook memories and I was running 5K’s with friends, going to the gym, and trying all kinds of new fitness routines. I felt better, looked better, and it helped keep my anxiety and depression in check. I’m paying for a gym membership, and a Beachbody on Demand membership and not using either, so that is something I plan to get back into right away.

#3 Declutter

After reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I did a serious purge of stuff from my house. It appears that a lot of things found there way back. Or I didn’t get rid of enough to start with. Either way, there’s too much stuff in my house and it needs to go. I plan to sell or donate a lot of stuff this year. I took a good but to the local thrift store on New Year’s Eve so I’m already making good on this promise.

#4 Get Control of My Finances

I’ve been using You Need a Budget (YNAB) for several years to manage my money and it has helped a lot. I don’t use it to its full potential, and I don’t adhere close enough to the budget to make it as beneficial as it could be. I WAM (whack a mole) way too much because I don’t check the budget and spend within that. So that’s a big goal for this year because I know that if I do that, I will have a lot more success. After reading The Year of Less last year I had planned to do a spending ban. I even wrote up rules for it, but I never got started. I reread the book a few days ago and it has re-energized me and now I want to try this. I’m going to revise my rules and give it a go. I’ll do another post on that soon.

#5 Hustle

This one goes along with getting control of my finances. I plan to make this year the year of hustling. I’m going to look into every possible way to make more money and grow side income. My job situation is a little sticky right now and there’s a chance I could find myself unemployed this year. I want to start securing some other sources of income even if that doesn’t happen. I really want to work on growing this blog and do a lot more freelance writing.

#6 Less Social Media

This one is pretty self explanatory. I spend a TON of time on social media and none of it is productive. I love seeing what my friends post, but it is a huge time suck. I also allow myself to get sucked into debates and start comparing my life to others. I want to use social media for positive things this year, but I also want to use it a lot less.

#7 More Being Social

I’m reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes right now and let me tell you that this woman is speaking to me! I’m an introvert and I say “no” to pretty much everything. I’ve allowed my social life to disappear and that’s left me feeling more depressed and disconnected from the world. I need to start saying “yes” to invitations and putting myself out there more to meet new people. Internally I’m screaming about this one because as an introvert there’s nothing I like more than hiding out at home. But hiding out at home doesn’t allow me to make connections with other people and I do want that. So I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to be around people.

#8 Read More

I love to read. I still remember getting my first library card. I have tons of books, but I always say I don’t have enough time to read. Truth is, I have time, I’m wasting it on social media. I signed up for a reading challenge on Goodreads and set a modest goal that I can hit and will hopefully surpass.

I know this sounds like a lot of stuff, but I’m feeling very motivated. Do you have any goals for 2019? Tell me about them and let’s support each other!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/eight-goals-for-2019/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/eight-goals-for-2019/Two Point Instant Pot Vegan Chilihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/dtI80AZE_UE/ https://emmycaitlin.com/two-point-instant-pot-vegan-chili/#respondMon, 08 Oct 2018 00:28:46 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1795 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. I HATE to cook! I’m not kidding, if I ever become crazy rich the first thing I’m doing is hiring a personal chef. I don’t enjoy anything about the process. So, when I cook the recipes have to be really easy, and something I […]

I HATE to cook! I’m not kidding, if I ever become crazy rich the first thing I’m doing is hiring a personal chef. I don’t enjoy anything about the process. So, when I cook the recipes have to be really easy, and something I can’t mess up too bad. I prefer recipes I can make in my Instant Pot because that thing is amazing and makes me feel like Julia Child. For real, if you don’t have an Instant Pot yet you need to get one.

The things I make need to be WW (formerly Weight Watchers) friendly as well and if I do my calculations correctly, this recipe should be two points per cup. I’m a very repetitive eater and will eat the same meals everyday for weeks at a time. I had been eating a zero point slow cooker chili for a while but I was getting tired of it.

The Chili

I cook without oil whenever possible, so I made this chili without using any oil. If you want to add oil that is fine, but just be sure to check the point value again. I’m also using a 6-quart Instant Pot so if you have a different size you may need to alter the recipe to fit.

Start by setting your Instant Pot to Saute and adding the minced garlic and a little bit of water. Once it is hot and sizzling add the Gardein Beefless Crumbles. Any type of meat free crumbles will work here, but if you use a different brand just be sure to recalculate the points. Add some water as needed to keep the crumbles from sticking. Once they are cooked through mix in the onion, peppers and celery. Cook until the vegetables have softened. Then add the taco seasoning mix and water and stir to combine. I used low sodium but if you can’t find that regular works, or you could also use chili seasoning, just be sure to check the point values.

After that stir in both beans. Finally pour the Rotel, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce on top of the mixture. I was afraid that mixing these ingredients in might cause the chili to burn, so I thought pouring on top was the safest route. Finally put on the lid, set it to seal, and set the timer to High Pressure Manual for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off allow the pressure to come down naturally. Then stir everything together and enjoy!

Check out the full recipe below for exact measurements and let me know how you like it!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/two-point-instant-pot-vegan-chili/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/two-point-instant-pot-vegan-chili/Weight Watchers is Changinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/SpaL5LnIphI/ https://emmycaitlin.com/weight-watchers-is-changing/#respondTue, 25 Sep 2018 00:28:23 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1772 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. And People Have Feelings About It! Woah! Weight Watchers announced some major changes to the program and company today and people are having ALL the feelings about it! As a member I use their app and they have a section called Connect which is […]

And People Have Feelings About It!

Woah! Weight Watchers announced some major changes to the program and company today and people are having ALL the feelings about it! As a member I use their app and they have a section called Connect which is sort of like Facebook where people can post and other can comment. I’m rather blown away by the reaction some people are having to something that seems so great to me.

What’s Changing?

I used to be a receptionist and leader for Weight Watchers. I’ve also been a member off and on for many years. If you’ve been around the company for any length of time you know that change is inevitable. Usually sometime around the start of a new year they’ll roll out some tweaks that don’t impact the plan itself but that are designed to help members be more successful. Then every few years they’ll make major changes to the plan itself based on the newest research in weight loss.

So while this announcement was pretty big, it was NOT a plan change. That’s being incorrectly reported and WW is doing their best to clear that up in the comments on their posts. They just spent a lot of time introducing Freestyle (read about how much I love Freestyle here) so it’s not time for a plan change. What they are doing is what I’ve been hoping they’d do for a long time.

Focus on Health

They’re changing their name to just “WW” which is honestly how many people refer to them in typed conversation now anyway and we know how much people love to text so I’m thinking that’s a smart move. Their new tag line is “Wellness that Works” and they’re just adding in a bunch of really cool stuff. They’re revamping their activity points, they’re partnering with Headspace to get into a mindfulness approach. They’re dumping the garbage ingredients from the foods that carry their name, and they’re creating some new products. They’re also creating a rewards system that I’m super excited about.

But that’s not what has people’s panties in a bunch (though a fair amount seem upset about meditation even though it’s not required). The biggest change is that they’re trying to appeal to people who just want to make healthy lifestyle changes. I’m not sure how that all shakes out in terms of what will be required for membership, and whether or not people will need to weigh in, but it’s got people shook.

I personally think all of the changes sound amazing. I also don’t think that they’re going to be suddenly flooded with memberships by super fit healthy people who just can’t wait to plunk down their cash to track their exercise. WW has already been struggling to compete with other free apps so that wouldn’t make sense. I think weight loss is still going to be their main focus, they’re just trying to work on the whole person and not focus on that number on the scale. I also think they’re trying to appeal to people who don’t feel like they fit in because they don’t have hundreds of pounds to lose. I know I’ve seen a lot of comments by smaller members who feel like they’re being judged for being there. This should remove some of that. I hope it removes that.

Embrace Change!

I saw someone comment “we came to WW because we wanted to change, so go with the change” today and that’s my motto as well. Change can be scary, but it can also be awesome. One thing WW always seems to remember is where they came from. They remember their founder Jean Nidetch fondly and I don’t think they’ll sway too far from her founding philosophy.

So, if you’ve ever thought about giving Weight Watchers a try but didn’t know if it was for you, now might be the time. I haven’t seen a date for the changes yet, but it won’t be too long I’m sure. They’re always running specials for new members, and if you sign up through Ebates you can get cash back too! So join me and let’s do this together!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/weight-watchers-is-changing/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/weight-watchers-is-changing/Off the Wagonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/zuoj_D4cfvk/ https://emmycaitlin.com/off-the-wagon/#commentsMon, 24 Sep 2018 00:14:12 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1766In the blogging world it’s a bad idea to not write anything for months, and then return and apologize for being gone for months. You’re just supposed to jump back in act like nothing every happened. But lots of stuff did happen and since I’m talking about a two year journey (well now it’s a […]

]]>In the blogging world it’s a bad idea to not write anything for months, and then return and apologize for being gone for months. You’re just supposed to jump back in act like nothing every happened. But lots of stuff did happen and since I’m talking about a two year journey (well now it’s a year and a half) then I need to talk about what happened.

I got scared

I initially stopped writing because I was scared about talking about all of these changed I wanted to make and not following through on any of them. Writing that first post about my plans for weight loss was putting it out there knowing I might fail. Guess what…I did. I made it through phase one of 80 Day Obsession, then I got really sick, and I didn’t get back into the program once I felt better. The second phase was much harder and I’m just not in good enough shape for that yet.

That led me to quit tracking my food too and I started gaining some of my weight back. I didn’t want to talk about it, so I just stayed quiet. My second post was supposed to be about my plan for getting out of debt, but I’ve been having some of the worst financial strain ever in recent weeks and why would anyone want to hear me talking about getting out of debt while I was just getting into more debt? So I didn’t write that post either.

In addition to being scared, my mother also got VERY sick. She was diagnosed with neuro-invasive West Nile Virus. Yeah, that thing they talk about that you can get from mosquito. Well, I never paid much attention to the warnings about that until it nearly killed my mom. That’s something for another post, but I spent nearly a month very off my normal schedule while she recovered.

So what now?

It’s time to jump back on the wagon. I’m going to be consistent here and talk about all of my journey. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I still have goals I want to hit and less time to hit them in if I’m going to make them happen by the time I turn 40. Some of them might not happen by then, and that’s OK, but I’ve hit the point where the fear of being where I am now at 40 is worse than the fear of change. So it’s time to strap myself to that wagon and hang on!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/off-the-wagon/feed/1https://emmycaitlin.com/off-the-wagon/My Weight Loss Planhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/qSWYo-6xzuA/ https://emmycaitlin.com/my-weight-loss-plan/#commentsWed, 27 Jun 2018 23:53:51 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1749 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. How I got here… I can’t remember the exact timeline, but a number of years ago I got dumped. Happens to all of us at least once in our lives right? I was engaged, and my fiance found someone else he’d rather marry. I […]

How I got here…

I can’t remember the exact timeline, but a number of years ago I got dumped. Happens to all of us at least once in our lives right? I was engaged, and my fiance found someone else he’d rather marry. I was devastated. I’d experienced breakups before, but I was blindsided by this one and it hit me really hard. I wasn’t in perfect shape by any means, but I proceeded to really let myself go over the course of the next year. I got to my highest weight of 213. I had severe heartburn and developed a chronic cough which sent me to see a doctor.

The doctor I saw was filling in for my regular doctor and he was a nice retired physician who as politely as possible told me everything was being caused by my weight. He wasn’t brushing me off either, he was right. I was young, and had no risk factors for anything else that could be causing a cough like the one I had. He explained that my excess weight was causing my heartburn, which in turn caused the cough, and it wouldn’t go away because a cough is a natural irritant and it was just keeping things irritated. He advised me to drop a few pounds and sent me on my way with a prescription for heartburn medication.

I was already on daily thyroid medication, and I don’t like taking medicine unless it’s totally necessary. I didn’t care for the idea of taking medication for something that was within my control to fix. So I threw away the prescription and joined Weight Watchers.

My Weight Watchers Journey

I joined during the Points era of Weight Watchers, which switched to Points Plus about halfway through my weight loss. I loved everything about the program. I lose 60 pounds, and decided to go to work for the company as a receptionist. I was so passionate about the program I was willing to leap out of my comfort zone and go through leader training. But, once I wasn’t a paying member anymore, I got really lazy and stopped following the program the way that I should. Then I accepted a new full time job and decided to stop working for Weight Watchers. I also stopped the program entirely and proceeded to gain the weight back. I got back to 210 pounds.

My Current Plan…

So here I am now currently at 190 pounds. I rejoined Weight Watchers in December after hearing about their new Freestyle plan. As a vegetarian I was always disappointed by the high points of some of my staple foods and got discouraged and gave up. Freestyle made a lot of the foods I love zero points and that was a game changer for me (you can read about how much I love Freestyle in this post). I was able to drop 20 pounds in just a few months. Then I got lazy again and put back on a few pounds.

I might have quit again, but then I decided to take on an exercise challenge. I’ve had a Beachbody on Demand membership for a little over a year now and have sporadically followed some of the workouts. I was curious about the 80 Day Obsession program but afraid I was too out of shape to do it. But I knew that if I was going to do it, it was going to have to be in the summer when my kids were out of school so I decided to go for it. Once I got into it I knew I couldn’t blow all of that hard work with a bad diet, and went back to tracking in the Weight Watchers app. I lost the weight I had regained, and I’m back to a 20 pound loss so far. I plan to complete the 80 Day Obsession program and continue to follow Weight Watchers. I also have a Planet Fitness membership and go there when it’s convenient for an extra workout. My sons can join me there so it’s a good thing for us to do together that is also good for us. My goal is to lose the remaining 60 pounds by the time my son graduates in June of 2019.

So, that’s my current plan for the weight loss portion of this journey. Once 80 Day Obsession is finished, I’ll select a different program to follow and will keep you updated on that. If you’re interested in signing up for Weight Watchers yourself, be sure to go through Ebates to get a little cashback! Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried either of these program and how they’re working for you!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/my-weight-loss-plan/feed/1https://emmycaitlin.com/my-weight-loss-plan/Life Makeover by 40!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/7VoVMUaqcxQ/ https://emmycaitlin.com/life-makeover/#respondThu, 14 Jun 2018 21:32:03 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1728 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. Where I’ve been… I’ve been finding a million other things to do besides write this post. I’ve been neglecting this blog as a whole for a while as you can see because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. I […]

Where I’ve been…

I’ve been finding a million other things to do besides write this post. I’ve been neglecting this blog as a whole for a while as you can see because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. I read a lot of blogs and most of them have these well crafted articles with lists or tips or other things of high value for their readers. I want to be able to provide posts like that. But, I also find that the blogs I’m most interested in are those where the owner just speaks from the heart and talks about their life. In most cases, I don’t even have a lot in common with the owners of those blogs, but I still enjoy them and get something out of reading them. So I think I’ve finally settled on a path here and now that I’m writing about it I hope it gives me some accountability to keep writing.

Where I’m going…

I really have a pretty great life. When I sit down and reflect on it I’m amazed at how great it really is, and I’m truly thankful for it every day. I suspect most people who read this feel the same way. But at the same time, I feel like there’s so much more I could be. I’m a smart woman with a lot of opportunities that other people don’t have. I feel like I’m wasting that and that past choices have really put me in a place where I’m not living life the way that I could be. I also have a lot of guilt about this because it means my kids haven’t had as good of a mother or life as they could have had either. Don’t get me wrong, they have it pretty good. Maybe some of you feel the same way though. Maybe you feel like you know you’re just not living the way you should.

So I feel like it’s time to embark on a bit of a journey. Or maybe do an experiment, however you want to look at it. I just turned 38 in March and I feel like I’d like to make some serious changes before I turn 40. There are two major goals I would like to achieve, and some smaller goals as well. I want to be consumer debt free (student loans will be a goal after that) and I want to have lost another 60 pounds (I’ve recently lost about 20). I have other goals related to my social life and career that I’ll talk about later, but those are the two big goals. I’d really sort of like to have a life makeover by my 40th birthday.

How will I get there?

I’m still working on the details as to how this will happen. I’m a big believer in the Law of Attraction and know that once I’ve put my desires out there I need to remain open to everything. I can’t stay too focused on the “how” I need to focus on the “why”. But, you can’t just sit around waiting for things to happen to you so I will be coming up with some initial plans to get the ball rolling. Along the way I hope to provide you with updates on my progress as well as posts that will help you too. I recently read The Year of Less by Cait Flanders and I was amazed at how much I got from her book despite the fact that we have such different lives. I hope to do the same here. I want you to get something from this even if you can’t really relate to my life.

Where you can find me…

I am going to write about all of the things I’m doing to achieve these goals right here on the blog. However, I’m also considering recording some short videos for YouTube because I know that when I’m looking for stories about people doing the things I hope to do, that’s where I go. I DO NOT like to hear myself talk or be on camera, so if I do this it’s going to be way outside of my comfort zone. I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you’d like to see videos instead of, or in addition to, these blog posts. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/life-makeover/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/life-makeover/Use Your Phone to Save on Grocerieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/ZlZsJhMpICU/ https://emmycaitlin.com/groceries/#respondSun, 04 Mar 2018 21:24:09 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1560 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. How do they eat so much?! I have two teenage boys and it seems like I am ALWAYS at the grocery store. I keep a running list on my phone of things I need at the store and I can tell you that the […]

How do they eat so much?!

I have two teenage boys and it seems like I am ALWAYS at the grocery store. I keep a running list on my phone of things I need at the store and I can tell you that the list is never empty. We recently joined a gym and now they’re eating twice as much. Since I’m always shopping for food, I’m always looking for ways to save money or get cash back on my purchases. If you’re looking to save money too, then check out my favorite ways to save on groceries!

This app is my favorite and it’s probably the one that I use the most. You find the store you want to shop in and then select the offers that you want. Once you’ve completed your shopping trip you can scan or take a picture of your receipt and it will match the offers to your receipt. Once they’ve verified your receipt (which usually takes almost no time at all) they deposit the money from the offers into your account. Once you have enough to cash out you can choose between a variety of gift cards, or get cash sent to your PayPal or Venmo account. They also run bonus opportunities from time to time where you can earn even more for purchasing certain items. If you join through my link you’ll get a $10 bonus once you’ve redeemed your first offer!

Right now I do the majority of my shopping at Walmart (waiting not at all patiently for my local Aldi to be completed). When I’m finished with a trip I use the Walmart app to scan the code on my receipt into the Savings Catcher. The app scans for lower prices at stores in my area, and if it finds any it deposits the difference onto a gift card. I can use that at the store or for online purchases. If you shop at Walmart you’ll want this app.

Right now Walmart Grocery and the Walmart Savings Catcher don’t work together because your receipt from Walmart Grocery is digital and doesn’t have a code. But there are still benefits to using Walmart Grocery. The biggest benefit is convenience. You place your order online and select the time frame in which you want to pick up your groceries. Then someone at Walmart does all of your shopping for you and you’ll get a notification when your order is ready to be picked up. Then you drive to the store, check in on the app, and they bring your groceries out and put them in your car for you. Only one of our three Walmart stores offer this option and it is the least conveniently located store to me, but sometimes it’s still worth the extra driving for the time I can save in a busy week. If they have to substitute something they’ll show you want they subbed and you can accept it or reject it. I’m a vegetarian so I don’t know how they are at picking meat, but they’re better than I am at selecting produce. Give it a try through my link and save $10 on your first order.

I don’t use this app as much as the first two because it doesn’t have many of the things I use, and rarely any generic items. But, if you’re a name brand shopper this one will be good for you. It works very similar to Ibotta in that you select your offers and take a picture of your receipt. Once you have reached $20 you cash out.

I’m brand new to this app, and it is only available on iOS right now but this one appears to be great if you’re someone who buys a lot of organic or natural items. This one has a lot of produce too which is rare for these types of apps. It works the same way as the others. Just select the items you’ve purchased, scan the barcodes of the items, and take a picture of your receipt. If you’re interested in signing up you can enter my referral code OGXWYF and start out with $1 in your account.

So there are just a few apps that you can use to earn or save yourself a little bit of money for buying things you already use without having to clip coupons. How do you trim your grocery budget?

I just started using this app today so I have very little experience with it, but CoinOut appears to give you $0.03 for every receipt you take a picture of. You do have to provide them with your phone number. Not a lot of money, but if you’re already using these other apps might as well snap one more picture!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/groceries/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/groceries/Air Fryer Street Cornhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/xNcp4l4M5bo/ https://emmycaitlin.com/air-fryer-street-corn/#commentsSat, 17 Feb 2018 22:49:39 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1541 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. Air Fryer Street Corn? Oh yes, you read that right! I LOVE Mexican street corn. One of my favorite things about my town’s 4th of July celebration is that there is a tent that sells this corn. I can eat two or three ears […]

Air Fryer Street Corn?

Oh yes, you read that right! I LOVE Mexican street corn. One of my favorite things about my town’s 4th of July celebration is that there is a tent that sells this corn. I can eat two or three ears of it easily. Now that I’m on Weight Watchers Freestyle I’m always looking for ways to make my favorite foods and keep them low in points. Enter air fryer street corn. Thanks to a fellow member in a Facebook group, I learned that this corn could be made in an air fryer.

What You’ll Need

You can look up recipes for this corn online and find out exactly how it’s traditionally made, but I just used what I happened to have on hand. I used small frozen ears of corn on the cob, Just Mayo (this is vegan if you’re looking for that), Parmesan cheese (I know this cancels out my vegan mayo), and Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning. You will also need an air fryer. There are a million different brands and sizes out there so if you don’t already have you, you might want to do some research into which one will be right for you. I will suggest going with a larger capacity unless it’s only going to be used for one person. Mine isn’t big enough and I often have to do two rounds of whatever I’m fixing.

Making Your Corn

This part is something you might personally want to play around with until you get it the way you like it. I microwave my corn for two minutes, flip it, then microwave for another two minutes. Then I put it in the fryer for 10 minutes at 400. Mine is sometimes a little burnt on one side, so frying it for five minutes and then flipping it would probably prevent that. I’m just lazy, and I like it a little burnt. Once that is finished I spread a small amount of mayo on each piece, and sprinkle a little bit of the Parmesan cheese and Mrs. Dash on them. The Smart Point value will depend on your choice of toppings, but I count mine as 3 SmartPoints for two pieces. Remember corn is a zero point food now!

That’s all you have to do to enjoy this easy low SmartPoints recipe in no time. Let me know in the comments if you’re going to give this a try, and tell me how you use your air fryer!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/air-fryer-street-corn/feed/1https://emmycaitlin.com/air-fryer-street-corn/Fabletics Pairs Fashion with Functionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/GfDGkRQApBc/ https://emmycaitlin.com/fabletics/#respondFri, 16 Feb 2018 14:57:09 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1525This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. I received my outfit in exchange for review. All opinions are my own. Whether you’re just getting into a workout routine, or you’ve been getting your sweat on for a long time, you learn very quickly that what you’re wearing makes a […]

Whether you’re just getting into a workout routine, or you’ve been getting your sweat on for a long time, you learn very quickly that what you’re wearing makes a big difference in how you feel. You need fabrics that breathe, and that move with you no matter what type of activity you’re participating in. You don’t want to spend a bunch of time tugging at your clothes trying to get them adjusted correctly, or have them in your way. I have to admit that as a curvy girl I’ve had a very difficult time finding clothes that were comfortable that I wasn’t always pulling at during a workout. EnterFabletics!

The Leggings!

I recently had the chance to select an outfit from their January collection and give it a test to see what I thought. I have to say that I am in LOVE! I am someone who will often throw on her workout gear and run a few errands before I get to the activity I’m planning. So I decided to select a pair of their High Waisted 7/8’s because I didn’t want a full legging, but not a capri either. I also wanted the higher waist because my waist is a trouble spot for me and I never feel like I have the support I need in that area. I wasn’t sure what to expect but these leggings are amazing! They were so easy to put on and their compression fabric gave me tons of support while still allowing me to move and feel great. They didn’t move, they didn’t sag, and I never had to adjust them while I was working out. They’re moisture wicking and they did a great job of keeping me feeling dry despite working up a good sweat. I could not have asked for a better pair of pants to work out in. It doesn’t hurt that they’re also super cute and have a fun print.

The Tunic!

Since I do run out in my workout clothes, I wanted a cute top to throw on over my sports bra. I picked the Daria L/S Tunic. I wasn’t sure about it because I knew the fabric might be a little clingy and I’m a bit self conscious, but this top fit great and I felt great in it. The cowl back is so cute and made me feel like I was put together even though I was in my workout gear. The fabric is so soft and I loved wearing it. I can totally see myself wearing this shirt with jeans as well as my workout clothes. Overall I loved both pieces that I picked out. There’s nothing bad I could say about either of them. I’ve washed them both and they were super easy to care for and came out looking just the way I put them in.

It’s obvious to me thatFabletics cares about the quality of the clothing that they’re making and I will be looking into theirVIP membership and picking up some more pieces. They’ve got casual tops, tanks, sports bras, jackets, and a variety of leggings. You can really complete your athletic wardrobe all in one place. With their VIP membership you get 40%- 50% off retail prices, and free shipping on orders over $49.95. You can also earn points for for free gear. Who doesn’t love free stuff? You always get to choose whether or not you shop each month and right nowand right now new members can get their first 2 pairs of leggings for only $24! I can truly say that I’m already in love with their clothes after trying these two pieces and I think you will be too. Get over toFabletics and check them out!

]]>https://emmycaitlin.com/fabletics/feed/0https://emmycaitlin.com/fabletics/A Review of “The Year of Less”http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emmycaitlin/~3/CAG6BQ_f7Mw/ https://emmycaitlin.com/the-year-of-less/#respondFri, 16 Feb 2018 00:55:44 +0000https://emmycaitlin.com/?p=1533 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosures for more info. Recently I asked for blogs, podcasts, or books about people who have paid off a lot of debt on a low income. I love reading debt free stories of all types. However, sometimes it can be daunting to read stories where people are making […]

Recently I asked for blogs, podcasts, or books about people who have paid off a lot of debt on a low income. I love reading debt free stories of all types. However, sometimes it can be daunting to read stories where people are making a ton of money and just need to not buy quite so many lattes when you don’t feel like there’s anything else you can cut. I got a ton of amazing suggestions and plan to follow up on all of them. Several people mentioned Cait Flanders in that post. I used to read Cait’s blog and those comments reminded me that I’d sort of forgotten about it. I had added her book The Year of Less to my Amazon wishlist, but sort of forgot about it too.

So when several people mentioned how good her book was, I decided to do something I never do, and that’s pay full price for a Kindle book. I normally wait until Amazon has them on deep discount, but something told me to just buy this one. I also did something with her book that I rarely do…I finished it in two days. The Year of Less is an engrossing memoir of the year that Cait spend not shopping. She was already out of debt at this point, but felt she was still spending money unnecessarily. So she set up some rules and embarked on a year long shopping ban.

It’s funny how you get impressions of bloggers from the little bit of their lives they share in their writing. I admit I had this mental picture of what her life was like, and this book made me realize I was very wrong. While she leads a very different life than I do and had very different struggles, I still found that I was really able to relate to her. I could see my own challenges in hers, and many of my reactions to my own problems were similar to hers. She’s so real and so honest in this book, and on her blog.

I actually found myself clapping when I was nearing the end of the book because I was suddenly inspired so much but what she’d managed to do. It really gave me a ton of ideas about how I could implement my own shopping ban to get out of debt and lead a life like I truly want. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wanted to make a really big change in their life, or who has thought about challenging themself to something that someone might find extreme. Check out her blog to get more of a feel for who she is and pick up her book!

I’m still thinking through my takeaways from her book and what I want to do, but trust that there will be more on this in the near future!